Want The Best Bridal Party? Here’s How!

They should be your sisters from another mister, or in our modern twitter era, your #squad – have you thought about who to include in your bridal party? For some brides, the decision is simple and there is only one set of right hand women that they would even consider. Unfortunately this isn’t the case for everyone and choosing a bridal party can turn into a scene from Bride Wars. Have a look at our top tips for choosing the perfect bridal party to make sure nobody’s nose is put out of joint.

Take your time – While it might seem that the minute you get engaged you need to choose who should be in your bridal party, this is not the case. Take as long as you need to deliberate over the perfect choice. Remember, once you have asked someone to be a part of your day, you can’t take it back (well, not without a serious amount of drama) so make sure you are happy and 100% sure of your decision before popping the question.

Choose carefully – The build up to a wedding can be a stressful time for any bride, so it is important that the people you have chosen to be in your bridal party will be good at calming your nerves, or being a shoulder to cry on if it all gets too much. Diva demands from a bratty bridesmaid will only add unwanted extra stress.

Other roles – Obviously not everyone can be in the main bridal party, but if you have close friends or family members that you would like to be a part of your day, consider asking them to carry out other roles within the wedding. Think of how you could incorporate them into the day by exploiting their best talents. Asking a friend to welcome your guests or perform a reading during the ceremony will allow them to feel involved in your wedding day, keeping everyone happy.

Budget – When choosing your wedding party, don’t forget to take into consideration your overall budget. It’s easy to get carried away in the excitement of asking your BFFs to be a part of your wedding, but remember that the more people you include, the more expensive it will be. Dresses, shoes, flowers, hair, makeup, spray-tans, nails and jewellery will all add up, so it’s important to cater your bridal party to your budget and not go overboard.

Don’t ask someone just because they asked you – Your bridal party should be made up of people that you want right by your side every step of the way, so if your long lost cousin from Australia asked you to be her bridesmaid, don’t feel that you have to return the favour. You don’t want to look back in ten years and regret your decision; just because you felt you had to.

Tradition – Long gone are the days of sticking to tradition when it comes to choosing a bridal party. If your best friend is a boy, or vice versa, your groom’s best friend is a girl, why should you sacrifice having them in your wedding party just because it’s not typically traditional? A bridesman, or a groomswoman is so 2016.

Bridal Party Size – Keep in mind the overall size of the bridal party when choosing who to ask – remember that the groom will also be asking his nearest and dearest to be a part of the day as well. The average numbers on each side is usually between three and four people – but if you’re considering having a bigger bridal party, keep in mind trying to organise shopping trips, dress and suit fittings and hen and stag parties. Organising a large number of people can be stressful, especially in the run up to a wedding.

Personality – When planning your wedding you need people around who know you upside down and inside out. Members of your wedding party will have responsibilities in the run up to and on the day of your wedding so consider choosing someone who will be reliable enough to take care of the wedding bands, and the signing of the register but also someone who knows how to throw the best kind of hen or stag party!